Following The Journals of Musan (also showing at this year’s festival), Park Jungbum’s epic sophomore film once again focuses on the marginalised people of Korean society and rages at the system that fails them. A feature of International Film Festival Rotterdam, San Francisco International Film Festival and TOKYO FILMeX amongst many others, Alive is the story of a labourer who strives to make ends meet for his family, but cannot seem to escape from a series of calamities. “Why can I never have anything?” he screams in despair. The many spectacular locations filmed in the rural Kangwon province provide a fitting background to the exasperated character and his daily struggle to survive. Like Ken Loach and Mike Leigh before him, Park’s films stir and call his audiences into action.

After the screening, acclaimed director, writer and actor Park Jungbum joins us for a Q&A moderated by Guardian journalist Simran Hans.